Casa Di Francesca - Restaurant Impossible Update - Open or Closed?

In this Restaurant Impossible episode , Robert Irvine visits Casa Di Francesca in Buffalo, New York.

Casa Di Francesca is owned by Steve Marchione.

Steve’s parents opened the restaurant in 1987.

Steve was just 16 years old when his parents decided to buy the restaurant.

Steve’s dad taught him all the family recipes that they still use today.

Steve misses his father every day.

For a while, there were lines outside of the door.

It was busy every day and everyone loved the food.

In 2013, Steve was served divorce papers.

Shortly after that, his mother passed away and his house burnt down.

His kids were hysterical and nothing else mattered at that point.

Steve told them he would rebuild the house better than it was before.

Three years later, the house is still under construction.

The restaurant dropped in his priorities and suffered a great deal.

Now he can’t pay his bills.

If nothing changes, he will run out of money by the end of the year.

The legacy will be gone as he would have to close and he would let his children down.

Robert arrives at the restaurant.

The front door doesn’t close properly.

The restaurant is very dark and there is water damage to the ceiling.

The bar area also needs a lot of work.

Robert calls Steve to the front of the house.

Steve tells Robert about how he got into the restaurant industry.

When Steve took over the restaurant, their revenue was over a million dollars.

They started doing live music in 2013.

One of the guys he hired to sing at the restaurant wanted to be with his wife.

This is why his wife left him.

When the divorced begin, Steve started to not pay as much attention to the restaurant.

A year later, his mom died.

In 2017, Steve got a call from the police saying his house is on fire.

There was an electrical fire in the laundry room and the whole house went up in flames.

Steve went into a depression and stopped caring for the restaurant as much.

The staff did whatever they wanted as Steve wasn’t there as much.

Steve’s overall debt is around $200,000.

In 2018, revenue wasn’t great and last year they took around $80,000.

Steve has full custody of his kids who are 11, 13 and 15 years old.

Robert tells Steve that he will give him everything he’s got in the next 48 hours.

He says that it will take a lot of work from Steve.

Robert says he wants to see the service.

Steve says he is shaky inside from all of the stress.

They are only seating at 50% capacity due to state restrictions.

Straight away it’s very clear that the staff has no guidance.

They serve some drinks in disposable cups.

There is salmonella growing in the bar.

The kitchen is much worse.

Robert says the kitchen is appalling.

He tells Steve that he is going to kill someone if he doesn’t take care of business.

Robert tells Steve to shut it down.

Steve still wants to serve the food that he has cooked.

He says there is nothing wrong with the food in the kitchen.

Robert says he shouldn’t be in this business doing things like this.

Robert talks to the staff about how Steve is as an owner and they don’t hold back.

Steve says he feels like he has been beat up by ten guys.

Robert orders a few items from the menu but he doesn’t eat them after seeing the kitchen.

He just wants to see how it is presented.

Robert likes how the chicken and salad were presented.

Robert calls Steve out to him.

Robert says he is sad he can’t try the food as it does look good.

Robert asks if Steve is ready to commit and Steve says he is ready.

He wants his business to be a success.

Robert tells him to clean the kitchen first.

Robert meets with his design team of Lynn and Tom.

The staff begins taking everything out of the restaurant.

Steve’s staff is stood outside doing nothing as Steve shows no authority.

They begin emptying the fridge so they can clean it.

Steve admits that he is soft and needs to work on that.

Steve has no clue about his menu.

He doesn’t know the food costs.

He thought it was around 20% but in reality it is around 90%.

They decide they need to get rid of some of the menu items.

Robert wants to start again with the menu.

It’s proof that this restaurant still belongs to his parents.

Steve realizes that if he kept his staff on top of things, he wouldn’t be up so late cleaning the kitchen.

Robert meets Steve’s children.

The kids realize that Steve needs to prioritize the restaurant for things to change for the better.

Steve made them a balsamic glazed tenderloin.

Robert says that this dish is an 8.5 out of 10.

Steve is very happy that Robert liked the food.

Robert shows Steve recipes he believes would sell well in the restaurant.

Steve says these are the best dishes he has ever eaten.

Steve gives his staff a pep talk.

Server Ashley says that Steve seems a lot more confident now.

Steve says that the last couple years have been very difficult.

Robert shows Steve his new restaurant.

Steve and his children love the changes that they made to the restaurant.

Steve invites the customers into his new restaurant.

On relaunch, the customers say the vibe is now friendly and exciting.

Steve is checking up on customers and making sure the kitchen is keeping up.

The servers are now doing their jobs properly and are respecting Steve.

The customers love the food and promise to return to the restaurant.

Steves kids say they are very proud of their dad.

Steve says he is a proud owner of a new restaurant.

What Happened Next at Casa Di Francesca?

A few months later, Steve’s new reduced menu has turned a profit.

Sales are up 80% and he was able to fix the fridges.

His three kids are all supportive of Dad’s new focus.

They all look forward to rebuilding their home soon.

Casa Di Francesca's is open.

After filming, reviews are positive with praise for the food and service.

Casa Di Francesca was Restaurant Impossible season 18 episode 8 and aired on 22nd April 2021.

Click for more Restaurant Impossible Restaurants

Next episode - Park Vue Soul Food Bar and Restaurant

Previous episode - Millonzi's